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On
one occasion, which is recorded in John 9, Jesus hid Himself and left the
temple after a major conflict with the Jewish leaders who had decided to stone
Him to death. As He was leaving, He saw a man who had been blind from birth. To
answer a question which His disciples had asked, Jesus said that the man had
been born blind so that the works of God could be revealed in Him. Then Jesus
spat on the ground and may mud with the saliva and dirt. He took the mud, put
it on the blind man’s eyes, and told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. The
man did what the Lord commanded and came back seeing. Of course, this stirred
up quite the commotion among the people.

When
the man gave his testimony of the miracle, he told the people that a man called
Jesus had healed him. Well, the man was taken before the Pharisees who had
previously decided to stone Jesus to death. They immediately stated that Jesus
was not of God because He healed the man on a Sabbath. The Pharisees even
called in the man’s parents to validate the claims that the man had been born
blind and could now see. Although the Pharisees continued their attacks against
Jesus, the man would not back down to his claims that Jesus was a healer and prophet.
So, the Pharisees excommunicated him from the synagogue (which is to say that
he was cut off from the community).

Later,
when He had heard that the man had been cast out, Jesus went and found the man.
It was then that the man confessed his faith in Jesus and worshiped Him. There
were some Pharisees who were present when Jesus and the healed man met up
again. They were not happy at all when Jesus said, “For judgment I have come
into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may
be made blind.” It is in this context that Jesus says what He does in chapter
ten.

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Stranger vs. Shepherd (1-6)

Based
on the context, which I rehearsed in the introduction, the speech of chapter
ten is first and foremost a criticism of the Pharisees. Yet, we can learn many
things about Christ as Good Shepherd and about ourselves as sheep in the flock
of God.

“Most
assuredly, I say to you” is the famous “Verily, Verily, I say unto you” of the
KJV. This reflects the Greek which says, “Ἀμὴν
ἀμὴν
λέγω ὑμῖν”
(Amen, Amen). It is an emphatic statement which serves to catch the hearers’
attention. The “you” of this passage is, first and foremost, the Pharisees who
are seen here as terrible shepherds of Israel. Jesus is about to contrast the
Jewish leaders of His day with Himself; it is stranger vs. Shepherd.

Jesus
puts the Pharisees in the camp of “strangers.” They are frauds. They pose as
shepherds of the flock of God, but they are only in it for themselves. Notice all
of the descriptions that Jesus uses for them through the passage:

He
who does not enter the sheepfold by the door

Climbs up another way

Thief and robber

The sheep will not follow a stranger

The sheep flee from him

The sheep do not know the voice of
strangers.

On
the other hand, Jesus refers to Himself in many positive ways by putting
Himself in the category of true “shepherds”:

He
who enters by the door

The shepherd of the sheep

To him the doorkeeper opens

The sheep hear his voice

He calls his own sheep by name

He leads his own sheep out

He goes before them

The sheep follow him

The sheep know his voice.

Verse
six tells us that this was an illustration, but no one knew what the Lord was
talking about. This is common, especially in the Gospel of John. Jesus often
teaches in figurative ways, sometimes so that the audience can’t understand Him
and sometimes the audience should understand, but they are too dull to
comprehend the simple truth.

I AM the Door of the Sheep (7-10)

The
next paragraph appears to be an explanation of what was said in verses one
through six. The people did not understand, so the Lord continues the
discussion of the sheep and the door. He is not ready to tell them bluntly the
truth of their corrupt leadership, but He continues to talk figuratively. To
begin this explanation the Lord says again, “Verily, verily, I say unto you”
(Listen up).

At
the end of verse seven we have the third of seven “I AM” statements in the
Gospel of John. Jesus says, “I AM the door of the sheep.” We know that this is
important because John records it as emphatic in the original language. It is,
“ἐγώ εἰμι” which simply means, “I, I am” (ἐγώ means I, and εἰμι
means I am). When something is repeated back-to-back in Greek it is for
emphasis. To put it simply, the Lord is saying that He is uniquely and opposed to all others the one door of the sheep.
This is a significant statement. First, Jesus is saying that He is divine. He
is equating Himself with Yahweh. This Greek statement is equivalent to the
Hebrew that God used to reveal His personal name to Moses at the burning bush.
Moses asked, “Who shall I say is sending me?” The Lord responded, “Tell Pharaoh
that I AM is sending you.” You see, Jesus has already said this to the Jews,
and He did not mix words in John 8:58 when He said, “Most assuredly, I say to
you, before Abraham was, I AM.” Of course, Jesus says very clearly again in
this tenth chapter verse 30, “I and My Father are one.” In response to that
comment, the Jews were going to stone Him because they realized that He was
claiming to be God (verse 33).

Second,
what does it mean for Jesus to be the door? Almost all commentators will point
you to this: In those days, there was a walled enclosure, or a cave, or out in
the field the shepherd would form a sheepfold and the shepherd would sleep in
the entryway and function as a door. He wanted to keep the sheep from getting
out and discourage any wild animals from getting in. This, of course, was for
the benefit of the sheep so that they would not get lost, injured, or killed. I
think we can understand this simply. What does it mean to be a door or gate?
The thieves and robbers went through illegitimate ways (they climbed through
windows), but Jesus is the door.

Jesus
says that all who come by Him are saved. He makes this a salvation metaphor. If
you are going to be saved, you are going to have to go through Him. He is the
legitimate entryway for salvation. This is just another way of saying what He
says in many other places in the Gospels. He is exclusively the way to
salvation.

What
does it mean to find pasture? It means that you will be fed, you will find
rest, and you will be led by the shepherd. The thief does not do that. The
thieves come to kill, steal, and destroy which is language that is usually
reserved for Satan himself. Jesus is veiling His criticism of the Pharisees.
They are like their father, the devil. They were only looking out for
themselves.

What
does it mean for the shepherd to provide life? It means he is going to get them
to food, water, rest, safety, and all the rest. He will care for them. Jesus is
teaching at the end of verse ten that He offers life not only in this age but
in the age to come. He offers eternal life.

I AM the Good Shepherd (11-16)

In
the last paragraph of our sermon text today, Jesus uses another metaphor. He is
no longer the Door, but now He is the Good Shepherd. What makes Him so good? He
dies for the sheep. You see, this makes sense from a literal, physical
perspective and of course it makes sense from a Christian perspective.
Shepherds who own a flock are willing to lay down their lives for the
preservation of their sheep. It is their family’s livelihood and long-term
investment. While Jesus is not dependent on us, we are totally dependent on
Him, and we needed Him to lay down His life for our sakes.

The
Lord is the Good Shepherd because He lays down His life for the sheep. He is
referring to His substitutionary atonement on the cross. The wolf of the wrath
of God was coming after us, but Christ through Himself in between.

The
last line refers to global missions. There are people from all over the planet
who will hear the call of the Good Shepherd and come into His fold. Verse 16
still stands true and active today.

Conclusion and Christian
Application

I
only have two questions for you as we conclude this sermon. These two questions
are simple, but they are as serious as any question that may be posed to you
(if not more serious).

(1) (Look at v3) Do you hear Christ’s
voice? I don’t mean audibly. I mean, do you hear His voice when you read the
Scriptures? Do you hear His voice when His word is taught? Do you hear His
voice in your day-to-day life and routine as He guides you by His Spirit?

(2) (Look at v4) Do you follow Christ?
This second question is linked to the first. If you are a sheep that belongs to
Christ, then you know His voice, and when He calls, you go running to obey His
word.

(3) (Look at v14) Do you know Christ?
The last question sums up them all. In order to receive the benefits of the Good
Shepherd’s accomplishments, you must know Him.

The
23rd Psalm is one of the most familiar and famous passages in all of
the Bible. Of course, familiarity sometimes gets in the way of true
understanding of the text, and sometimes it blinds us from seeing fresh things
in the Scripture. While Psalm 23 has become mostly associated with death and
funerals (I have read the chapter at several funerals myself), it is actually a
song about the here-and-now. It is a declaration of trust from beginning to
end.

The
Lord Jesus spoke about food, water, and clothing in Matthew 6 by saying,
“Therefore do not worry . . . . For your heavenly Father knows that you need
all these things.” This psalm is a reflection upon that biblical principle and
a declaration of total trust in God’s provision and protection. The main
message, therefore, is: there is nothing to fear when God is your Shepherd.

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The Lord is Shepherd (1)

Notice
that this is “a psalm of David.” We know from the biblical narrative that
David’s family kept sheep and, from a young age, David was himself a shepherd
(1 Sam 16:11, 19; 17:15, 34-37; 2 Sam 7:7-8; Ps 78:70-71). We also know that
David was a musician. He loved to write songs, play instruments, and sing. This
is one of his most famous songs, a song of trust.

What
David wants to establish in the first verse is the theme of complete trust and
the shepherd image. Knowing how a shepherd views and treats his sheep, David
can think of no better illustration for his relationship with God than to say,
“The Lord is my shepherd.” That phrase carries several implications. It not
only implies how David viewed God but also how he viewed himself (as a sheep).
For God to be viewed as a shepherd is not an unusual thing. In fact, this
becomes a biblical theme in both the Old and New Testaments.

First
of all, what was David asserting about his view of God by calling him a
shepherd? (1) A shepherd was seen as a provider and protector. (2) "The
image of shepherding is not always a gentle, pastoral one, and it is often a
despised occupation. David pointed it out to Saul that shepherds were rough and
tough characters who needed to be brave and ruthless killers which is what
fitted him to take on Goliath" (Goldingay, 348). (3) We must also say that
in the ancient world, the shepherd imagery was often associated with kings.

Let
us consider how David viewed himself in relation to God. (1) The first action
on David’s part that is stated in this psalm is to “not want.” David reflects
on his relationship to God and knows that he will lack no good thing that he
needs to make it through this life. (2) A sheep is dependent upon its shepherd
for mostly everything: guidance, water, food, protection, and nursing of
injuries.

Here is our first application: if you trust in God, you may
not have everything that you desire, after all many of our desires are
unhealthy, but you will not lack any good thing that you need to survive this
life. God does not promise automatic prosperity because you trust Him, but He
will take care of you.

The Work of the Shepherd (2-3)

Israel's
Exodus from Egypt at God’s leading is an appropriate illustration for this
psalm. In the Middle East, sheep usually pasture in the wilderness, but that is
not an area that gets enough rain to settle a flock down in one place. The shepherd
must keep his flock on the move to find more water and grass. As David’s
shepherd, God is seen as providing him a place to lie down in grassy pastures.
God leads David to a place where he can stay for a long time, eat his fill, lie
down in safety for rest, and get up to eat again whenever he likes. “Still
waters” refers to “restful waters” and, thus, is parallel to verse 2a. God
leads his people to places of satisfaction and rest just like a shepherd leads
his flock to grass and water where they can eat, drink, and rest.

A Second Application: Have you ever felt that there
were threats all around you, but there was nothing to worry about? Have you
ever felt like things were chaotic and fast-paced around you, but you were able
to rest because God provided you that kind of blessing? You see, Christians are
not promised to become filthy rich or perfectly healthy. What we are promised
is blessings such as this one: faith-rest.

I
don’t think that verse three has a meaning much different than verse two, but
we may add that God’s leading His people “in the paths of righteousness”
basically means that He leads us on the “right paths” that leads in the right
direction. Most likely, it also means that He keeps us on the right path
morally. Thus, this line refers to sanctification, that is, that life-long
process to become more and more holy like our God. God wants to make you holy.

God's
namesake refers to His divine attributes. He always upholds His righteous and faithful
character. Remember that God revealed His personal name in the Exodus
narrative. In fact, that revelation to Moses really kicked-off all of the
events to follow. God fulfills the things of verses 2-3 not only to keep a good
reputation but also in keeping with His reputation. He must do these things
because of who He is. He is leader, provider, and protector.

Valleys, Death, and Evil (4)

There
may be some questions that the Bible does not attempt to answer. For example,
the Bible never answers the question of evil’s origin, neither does it answer
some scientific questions. We cannot impose certain questions on texts which do
not attempt to answer those questions. Yet, the Bible makes many things crystal
clear. I think we see two of those clear doctrines in verse four: (1) there is
such a thing as evil, and (2) believers are not immune to suffering.

Let’s
take those two things separately and then give some application. First, the
Bible makes crystal clear the existence of evil. There is an entire doctrine on
the subject which is found throughout the Scriptures. “The valley of the shadow
of death” is a famous phrase from this chapter. It is referenced often even in
modern, secular culture. While the doctrines of heaven and hell are not as
clear in the OT as they are in the NT, there is no doubt that the OT authors
taught that those were realities and that all people will face one of those two
destinations after death. Death is something that the Bible talks a lot about.
It is the fate of all human beings because of our sinful rebellion.

Second,
believers are not immune to evil and suffering simply because they belong to
God. If you live long enough, you are going to suffer (and maybe several times
over). What the Bible actually teaches is that it is through suffering that we
are proven steadfast, that we are made stronger, and that we become witnesses
of God to the world around us.

A Third Application: We are those who can fear no
evil even in the presence of evil. We are those who can be comforted despite
the existence of evil. It is our God, our Shepherd, who makes this kind of life
possible. Do you remember Isaiah 40:1? It reads, “’Comfort, yes, comfort My
people!’ Says your God.” Now look at verse four to see the reason for that
comfort.

A valley or canyon is a great place to find water in the wilderness. It is also
a place of danger because wild animals go there for the same reason. There
would be many places for them to hide and pounce on sheep. Yet, the sheep are
not afraid when walking through a dark canyon because their shepherd is
courageous and tough. The Shepherd is willing to take on any threat. The “rod
and staff” that comforts David is symbolic of the shepherd’s rod which was basically a club kept on
his hip used to fight off attacks. The staff
could be used in much the same way but was primary used to guide the flock in
the direction that it should go. The shepherd would also use his staff to knock fruit out of the trees
for the sheep to eat or he would use it to nudge the sheep to remind them of
his presence which would calm their nerves. So, David viewed God as his
protector and guide through all of life, and he found great comfort in that
understanding. He had no fear because he knew his Shepherd was willing to go
with him wherever he went and fight off any attack that may come.

I
think of Joseph’s story toward the end of the book of Genesis. He faced evil,
suffering, and death on numerous occasions yet was someone who knew his God and
trusted Him despite his current circumstances. The famous line that he declares
to his brothers who had betrayed him is, “You meant it for evil, but God meant
it for good.” He knew God was with him and was his defender. On every turn he
faced threats, yet in the end survived but was greatly blessed.

The Sureness of God’s Blessings
(5-6)

We
now leave the pasture and turn to another scene. A table with oil and cups is
now pictured as well as a house. Although one metaphor is traded for another,
the doctrine does not change. Throughout the 23rd Psalm, the idea
that God is the one who orchestrates and supplies all things is explicitly
stated. Remember the main message: there is nothing to fear when God is your Shepherd.
I think the famous phrase Praise God from
whom all blessings flow is an appropriate summary of verses five and six.

There
was nothing much more significant in the ancient world (and in the Middle East)
than to host someone for a meal. It was a sign of hospitality, friendship, and
loyalty. Oil was another important sign of hospitality. It was offered to
guests for dry and cracked skin and was thought to invigorate a person. For a
host to anoint a guest’s head is not some symbolic act but is a gesture which
refreshes the person. So, the line could be translated, “You refresh my
head with oil.”

The
Lord not only gives all of the resources that we need in this life, but He also
gives us mercy in our times of need. “Mercy” has been translated in a wide
variety of ways such as commitment, faithfulness, love, and lovingkindness. The
word “follow” in verse six is a weak translation which consistently means
something stronger. That God's goodness and faithfulness chase down the
psalmist is an ironic use of the word. While one might expect that his enemies
may pursue him God’s goodness and faithfulness are seen as chasing him down. If
the wild animals and enemies pursue us, you can be sure that good and mercy
also chase us and follow with energy.

Conclusion and Christian
Application

The
specific historical context cannot be determined, so the application is wide
open for how we can put this psalm to use in our lives today. I have given you
some applications throughout the sermon, but let me leave you with one more.

Remember that a sheep is
part of a flock (Ps 95:7; 100:3). So, the song refers to the congregation as a
whole and also to the individual. You are part of something bigger than
yourself. God wants to lead us collectively in a certain direction. He has
goals and blessings that He wants us to experience together.

As we
conclude our time in Isaiah for now, we will take a look at the last chapter of
the book which brings things full-circle and into final review.

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The Maker Looks Upon the Contrite
(1-2)

The
Lord begins this chapter by asserting that He does not dwell on earth. He has
made heaven His dwelling place, although He is not limited in any way to space
or time. Even when the Jews built a magnificent Temple, yes, God came to dwell
there but only because He chose to do so. He was not limited to only occupying
that small space on earth. Also, when He committed Himself to the Temple, He
was not submitting Himself to something that humans had built for Him because,
in fact, all of the resources that were at the disposal of those who
constructed the Temple had been created by God in the beginning. The Lord does
not look favorably upon people simply because they build or offer something to
Him.

No,
the Lord looks favorably upon those who are poor/humble and of a contrite
spirit. That second phrase probably means something like, “lame in spirit.”
Those who are lame in spirit are those who realize their brokenness. This is a
biblical theme. Take a listen to these Scripture references: “The sacrifices of
God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will
not despise . . . Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
God . . . God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble . . . And
whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be
exalted . . . He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord
require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your
God?”

You
see, God wants us to have a clear understanding of who He is and who we are in
relation to Him. He is God, and we are not. He is Creator, and we are creature.
He is the Helper, and we are helpless without Him. Maybe the greatest sin of
mankind is the arrogant posture that we take. So many have a problem with
admitting that there is a God who lays claim over their lives. So many are
unwilling to humble themselves before the Creator. They refuse to admit their
failures and wrongdoings. They refuse to confess their weakness. Yet, the Bible
makes clear that God is looking for those who will humble themselves before
Him, repent of their sins, and trust in Him (and the One He has sent, the Lord
Jesus Christ). This type attitude accords with trembling at the Word of the
Lord. A word of judgment, wrath, and the holiness of God should cause you to
reflect deeply on yourself and your condition and tremble at His Word.
Likewise, the sovereignty of God should cause us to tremble.

The Coming Judgment (14-17)

There
were many detractors in those days mocking those who believed the Word of the
Lord. They would say that the Lord had abandoned the Jews, that He was not
going to be of any help, and that the prophets were not proclaiming the truth.
Yet, there were those who trembled at the Word of the Lord (2, 5-6) that would
rejoice when they saw the Lord bring about restoration. Notice the combination
in verse 14 of both heart and bones. This stands as a figure for the whole
person. Those who have waited on the Lord will rejoice and flourish in the Day
of the Lord. The “hand of the Lord,” meaning His power, strength, and dominant
rule, will be experienced by His people while those who have rejected the
prophetic message will experience the Lord’s indignation/fury.

What
kind of fury will this be? Look at verse 15. The Lord will come with fire.
Notice that the personal name Yahweh (LORD) is used here. This fire has been
called the “deadly holiness of God” (Motyer, 539). Unrighteous men cannot stand
when the fiery holiness of God rages forth. Of course, chariots were earthly
displays of destruction. So, the wrathful picture continues against the Lord’s
enemies. May I just say at this point that the Lord’s enemies are not only
those who aggressively oppose Him, but those who have also rejected Him in
their hearts by unbelief.

“Fire”
is almost always a symbol for judgment in the Bible. So, the Lord’s fire,
chariots, whirlwind, anger, fury, and sword will all be directed at His
enemies. This will leave nothing behind. All of the unbelieving will be
consumed. Verse 16 makes clear that God stands over and above all of humanity
as Judge. He alone is righteous, holy, and just, and He will judge in
accordance with His divine attributes. When all flesh is judged, the slain of
the Lord will be many. For example, all of the Yahweh-rejecting, idol
worshipping people of the nations will be consumed by this fiery judgment of
God.

Here
is an appropriate time for me to say that many folks of our day hurl attacks at
the Bible because of the strong language of judgment, wrath, and extermination.
Primarily, folks point to Joshua’s conquest of the Promised Land. They
question, how could a loving God command
an Israelite army to massacre slews of people? How could God have them put to
death men, women, children, and livestock? Yet, here is the thing, that is
not at all different from the Flood of Noah’s day which swept away the entire
human race except eight people. It is not so different from the wars that have
been waged throughout human history which have been sovereignly orchestrated by
almighty God. Lastly, all of these things are only a small taste, a
foreshadowing of the final Judgment Day when all flesh will stand before the
Lord of heaven and earth and an overwhelming number who have lived on this
earth will be found guilty and cast into the lake of fire. If you are
uncomfortable with the wrathful language of the Bible, which is not only in the
OT but also in the NT, then you are leaning in the right direction. You
shouldn’t be comfortable with it, but do not reject those passages as truthful
because they serve as our warnings.

The Global Vision (18-24)

In
the final section the attention turns back to the faithful, those who have been
designated in this chapter as those who tremble at the Lord’s Word.

The
New Jerusalem: Gal 4:25-26; Heb 12:22; and Rev 21.

Bracket:
v18 “they shall come and see” and v24 “they shall go forth and look.” What is
it that they will see? They will see the Lord’s glory. What is His glory? The
glory of the Lord, His weight and value, is the revelation of the mystery kept
for centuries – that Gentiles and Jews will be brought together into one body,
the church, to make up the one people of God.

Bel
and Nebo are the most famous Babylonian gods. Those titles are versions of the
names for Marduk and his son, Nabu. These, of course, were fictitious gods that
the Babylonians had created. It is said that Nebuchadnezzar, the king of
Babylon, had a temple for Marduk near his great palace.

The
people of Judah had turned away from the Lord their God and began worshipping
the idols of the foreign nations. Their rebellion is what brought about their
captivity in Babylon. The Lord warned them through the prophets to repent from
their wicked ways and come back to the Lord, but they did not heed those
warnings. They trusted in the false gods, and, ultimately, the people were
taken into captivity along with their idols.

What
is the point of the first two verses? The point is exactly what we saw last
week in chapter 44. Idols are useless. They cannot save. They cannot deliver
anyone from their burdens but are in fact burdens themselves because they load
down the carriages and the animals. The message to Judah was that if they
wanted to follow their false gods, they could follow them all the way to
Babylonian captivity, and that is exactly what happened.

Listen to Me, O House of Jacob (3-5)

This
is the first of two times in the chapter that God says, “Listen to Me.” Here He
wants to speak to the remnant of Israel. From the beginning of their existence
the Lord had taken care of them. The Lord had carried along the people from
their conception as a nation and promised to do so even to their old age. Like
any good parent, the Lord says in essence, I
made you, so I am responsible for you. I will carry you, sustain you, and
deliver you.

For
this reason, among many more reasons, there is no one who compares to our God.
He has no equals. Even while the faithless people of Judah were carrying their
idols, God was carrying them from before they were a people until the present
day. He was going to send them into exile, but He would carry them back. He
tells them these things even before they happen so that when it did happen they
would know that He alone is God.

While
the idols of the people had to be carried by animals, God had been the one to
carry the people all along. The Lord wants them to see the irony in this fact.
Israel never had to carry their God but had instead been upheld by Him.

It Cannot Answer Nor Save (6-7)

In
verses six and seven, the Lord returns to the discussion of the uselessness of
idols. Folks would buy up some gold and silver, they would weigh it out and
determine what kind of god they would have the metal worker fashion. The people
would bow down and worship what was previously a hunk of metal without any
shape. A material that could be dug up from the ground was something to which
they prostrated themselves.

Idols
were something that people carried around because they could not move
themselves around. Once it was taken out of a back-pack, it would be stood
somewhere, and from that place it would not move. The absurdity of idols is
voiced once again because people would cry out to the idols for salvation, but
there would be no answer. There would be no salvation. They were lifeless,
statues of human imagination.

Remember This (8-11)

In
verse eight the Lord says, “Remember this” to draw the reader’s attention. The
phrase “show yourselves men” has a long history of disputed meaning. It could
mean “show yourselves men” or “stand firm.” It could also mean, “be ashamed” or
“be alarmed.” Either way, the Lord wants His people to remember who He is. It
is not so much about them, although they must admit that they were
transgressors, and so are we, but it is all about God. The Lord basically says,
Think back and remember all that I have
done for you. At this point, the Jews could think back to God’s creative
work; His promises of a remedy for the sin problem; His preserving a righteous
line; His choosing and blessing Abraham who would be the father of the nation
and the father of faith; His redeeming work in the Exodus; His conquering and
giving to them the Promised Land; and so much more. They needed to remember
things from long ago. If they would, they would realize that He is God and
there is no other, that there is none like Him, there is no comparison.

What
makes the Lord so unique? Well, many things declare God’s distinctiveness. For
example, in verse ten we are told that God declares the end from the beginning.
What idol can do that?

Another
more specific example of the Lord’s matchlessness, in verse eleven, is how he
raises up kings/empires for His good pleasure. We have already seen in chapter
44 that God called Cyrus by name, the king of the next world empire, Persia.
The “bird of prey from the east” and the “man” here in 46:11 is Cyrus the
Great. The Lord predicted and purposed his reign over the Persian Empire, and
the Lord brought it about. The Lord would bring a remnant of Israel back to the
Promised Land, and He would use Cyrus to accomplish that plan. Like a hawk
flying high in sky and swooping down on a helpless rabbit, Cyrus and the
Persian Army would come onto the world stage and quickly destroy the Babylonian
Empire. He would then decree that all captives return home.

Listen to Me, You
Stubborn-Hearted (12-13)

The
Lord has not been shy in calling the people for what they are. He has called
them weak in the sense that they needed to man up, He called them
transgressors, and now He calls them stubborn-hearted and far from
righteousness. What is “righteousness?” It is right-thinking. It is to be in
the will of God. It is to follow His standards. Sadly, there are many
Christians today who are also far from righteousness, although this is what we
have been called to in Christ. But, you see, Christ died for the ungodly. He
did not come to save the righteous, but to call sinners to repentance. Let us
draw close to Him because He has come close to us, even becoming a man, even
dying a substitutionary death on the cross.

Although
the Lord is harsh in telling them the bitter truth, He is also sure to make
promises that He will be their Helper. The people are far away from
righteousness, but the Lord promises to bring His righteousness near to them.
The point of verse 13 is that God will save them. Of course, there is no
clearer time in history for verse 13 to be fulfilled than in the crucifixion of
Jesus. It was then, at the time of His crucifixion, that God brought His
salvation near. It was there, at Zion (Jerusalem), that God placed His
salvation. That was how His glory was made known in Israel and for the whole
world.

Conclusion and Christian
Application

One
commentator has summed up nicely the point of C46, “Isaiah claims that the
evidence for the uniqueness of God . . . rests on his ability to predict novel
turns of history in advance, an ability the idols and their technicians do not
have. Specifically those predictions included Assyria’s all but total conquest
of Israel and Judah, Assyria’s failure to capture Jerusalem, the fall of
Assyria, the fall of Jerusalem and Judah to Babylon, the exile, the fall of
Babylon to Cyrus, Cyrus’s proclamation of freedom and encouragement to rebuild,
the return of a remnant, and the establishment of a messianic kingdom” (Oswalt,
192).

From
all of the information, we can confidently say that these predictions were made
long before the events so that when the events took place they served as
confirmation that the God of Israel is the only true and living God.

(1) If you are trusting in anything
other than the Lord, it cannot help/save you.

(2) God is the beginning and end, the
alpha and omega, the first and last, the author and finisher of our faith. He
redeemed you in the beginning of your Christian life in the new birth, He has
carried you all this time, and He will save you at the end of your life.
Continue to trust Him. Put Him in His proper place as God and King of your
life.

(3) Remember what God has done. God
calls on the Israelites to recall the things of old. If they would, then they
would remember His blessings, providential care, and saving works. You
can/should do the same.